Charles Spencer reviews Anna Friel, Sam West and Ken Stott in Uncle
Vanya at the Vaudeville theatre in the West End.

Theatregoers are at present spoilt for choice when it comes to Uncle Vanya.

Next Monday the award-winning Russian company Vakhtangov opens at the Noel Coward Theatre in a production performed in Chekhov’s native tongue with English surtitles.

But it has been pipped to the post by this fine English staging with an outstanding cast that includes Ken Stott in the title role, Samuel West as the ecologically minded Dr Astrov, and Anna Friel as the ravishingly beautiful, languidly indolent Yelena who briefly holds both men in her thrall.

In the greatest Chekhov productions you seem to be watching the apparently random flow of life itself rather then a carefully meditated work of art and, initially at least, that isn’t quite the case here.

The scene changes in Lindsay Posner’s production are lengthy and largely unnecessary as the rooms all look much the same and on the first night some of the actors occasionally seemed strained and jumpy, as if they hadn’t quite bedded into their roles.

But there is already a great deal to admire and I suspect the production will gain in depth and detail as the run continues.

Ken Stott is a very Scottish Vanya, which seems odd when the rest of his family speak RP English. But he marvellously captures a middle-aged man who suddenly finds himself head over heels in love with a woman who is not only incapable of responding to his desire but is actually married to the mean-spirited and pompous old art professor Vanya has come to despise.

The great scene in which riled beyond endurance he attempts to shoot the vile Serebrykov, and misses, twice, mingles high comedy with utter despair in a manner unique to Chekhov and Stott marvellously captures this apparently contradictory mixture of moods.

You can see why his Vanya is so smitten by Yelena, who is exceptionally alluring in Anna Friel’s performance, But the actress doesn’t coast on her considerable beauty here, but subtly suggest a woman who knows deep down that she is second rate, and cowardly when it comes to emotional intimacy.

Samuel West captures both the ecological idealism of Dr Astrov, whose concerns about deforestation seem almost spookily prophetic while also bringing a compelling coldness to the role. And Laura Carmichael is deeply touching as Vanya’s plain niece Sonya, who loves him deeply but knows her love will never be requited.

As so often with Chekhov, you emerge from this production marvelling at the writer’s astonishing daring, subtlety and emotional depth.